Setanta Draw

**Steve Bruce** · 17/01/2008, 3:29 PM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

of course the danger of a big whale in a small pond is that it is all too easy to become beached!!!

or is your metaphor to illustrate that your club is on the verge of extinction .....

I don't know if you have been following some recent topics eg AIL one, but some one jibed about the IL being a duck pond and that Linfields achievements mean nothing because we are like a big whale in a duck pond.

So basically it was a bit of banter back. Obviously I do expect Linfield to qualify and win this thing, but I know it is a lot more difficult than I have made it out to be lol

**razor** · 17/01/2008, 3:49 PM

Is there a full fixture list out there yet?

**centre mid** · 17/01/2008, 3:57 PM

2 tough groups IMO, group 2 slighty tougher that group 1. Cliftonville are going very well so far this year, hard to know what cork will be like this season under new management.

**Graemerz** · 17/01/2008, 4:32 PM

Tuesday 26th February

Group 1
Drogheda vs Cliftonville
Dungannon vs Cork

Monday 10th March

Group 2
Linfield vs Derry City
Glentoran vs St Pats

Tuesday 18th March

Group 1
Cork vs Drogheda
Cliftonville vs Dungannon

Monday 7th April

Group 2
Glentoran vs Linfield
Derry City vs St Pats

Monday 14th April

Group 1
Cork City vs Cliftonville
Dungannon vs Drogheda

Tuesday 15th April

Group 2
Glentoran vs Derry City
St Pats vs Linfield

Monday 1st September

Group 1
Cliftonville vs Cork
Drogheda vs Dungannon

Tuesday 2nd September

Group 2
Derry City vs Glentoran
Linfield vs St Pats

Monday 15th September

Group 1
Drogheda vs Cork
Dungannon vs Cliftonville

Group 2
Linfield vs Glentoran
St Pats vs Derry

Monday 22nd September

Group 1
Cliftonville vs Drogheda
Dungannon vs Cork

Tuesday 23rd September

Group 2
Derry vs Linfield
Glentoran vs St Pats

Monday 6th October

Semi final: winner G1 vs Runner up G2

Tuesday 7th October

Semi final: Winner G2 vs Runner up G1

Saturday 18th October

Final

**Kingdom** · 17/01/2008, 4:35 PM

The 2nd group is an absolute corker of a group. Will try to take in some games this year.

**Kingdom** · 17/01/2008, 4:37 PM

Originally Posted by Graemerz

Monday 10th March

Group 2
Glentoran vs St Pats

Tuesday 23rd September

Group 2

Glentoran vs St Pats

One of these is wrong anyway

**dcfcsteve** · 17/01/2008, 4:43 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

Linfield once again put in the hardest group. We'll just have to show our class once again and rise above it and win the league.

Hopefully Glentoran can end their embarrassment against the LOI teams

Is it the hardest group though ???

On current/recent league form - Drogs are better than Pats and Derry, Cork are better than Derry, and Cliftonville are better than Dungannon, and possibly also Linfield, depending on how their games-in-hand pan out. So how does all that make Group A the hardest...?

Or is it just the usual Linfield-centric attitude.

I'm usually not one for conspiracy theories, but after 3 years in a row of Derry, Linfield and Glentoran in the same group I could sware the whole thing is fixed. Seriously.

**Graemerz** · 17/01/2008, 4:49 PM

I wouldn't consider our group to be any together than the other group. Both groups are as tough as each other IMO.

**Saint MacDara** · 17/01/2008, 5:01 PM

Originally Posted by Graemerz

Monday 10th March

Group 2

Glentoran vs St Pats

This should be St Pats v Glentoran,otherwise we'd be kicking off with 2 away games.

**LeviathanNI** · 17/01/2008, 5:05 PM

Three years in a row of us the Glens and Derry City is enough for me to say that Setanta will be losing my support, and a lot of other people's support also. It is supposed to be a draw ffs..

**dancinpants** · 17/01/2008, 5:11 PM

Originally Posted by LeviathanNI

Three years in a row of us the Glens and Derry City is enough for me to say that Setanta will be losing my support, and a lot of other people's support also. It is supposed to be a draw ffs..

Agreed, the novelty has well and truly worn off. How do they expect the cup to retain any appeal when they serve up almost identical fixtures every year?

**Maroon 7** · 17/01/2008, 6:29 PM

I was about to say it seems like Linfield and Glentoran are in the same group every year. Along with Derry.

Drogs and Cork always seem to be together too.

Surely can't be that hard to mix things up a bit.

**Raheny Red** · 17/01/2008, 6:36 PM

Originally Posted by Graemerz

Tuesday 18th March

Group 1
Cork vs Droghedal

Obviously it would make too much sense if they played that game on the Monday!

**Dodge** · 17/01/2008, 7:18 PM

Originally Posted by Graemerz

I wouldn't consider our group to be any together than the other group. Both groups are as tough as each other IMO.

Well going on last year Derry are a bit behind the other LOI teams so they cancel out Dungannon...

Looking forward to visting Linfield and Glentoran.

**dcfcsteve** · 17/01/2008, 7:26 PM

Originally Posted by Raheny Red

Obviously it would make too much sense if they played that game on the Monday!

I'm sure it's scheduled there for a reason. I doubt they do these things just to be awkward !

Are there not other sports on Paddy's Day that might be televised anyway? I know BBC or whoever always schedules some NI schools rugby thing, foR example. Is there no GAA on Paddy's Day ?

**Schumi** · 17/01/2008, 7:30 PM

School's rugby final is on Paddy's Day. I assume Setanta are showing that this year again.

**dortie** · 17/01/2008, 7:34 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Well going on last year Derry are a bit behind the other LOI teams .

Be interesting to see how that 'massive' club from Dublin do this year...im sure the Setanta viewing figures will break the record for those games...not.

**Raheny Red** · 17/01/2008, 7:41 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Looking forward to visting Linfield and Glentoran.

Don't get your hopes up. You're ushered straight off the coach and into the ground, watch the match and then thrown back on the coach and back to Dublin. Linfield is OK due to the better atmosphere but Glentoran's home crowd is an embarrassment.

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

I'm sure it's scheduled there for a reason. I doubt they do these things just to be awkward !

Of course not but if the heads in charge ever decided to play games on bank hols in this country it would ensure a slight better crowd rather than playing the fixture the following day which happens quite alot in the eL.

**micls** · 17/01/2008, 7:46 PM

Originally Posted by Raheny Red

Don't get your hopes up. You're ushered straight off the coach and into the ground, watch the match and then thrown back on the coach and back to Dublin. Linfield is OK due to the better atmosphere but Glentoran's home crowd is an embarrassment.

Apart from the result we'd a great trip to Linfield last year.

Never been so welcomed at at football game in my life.

Food and Drink laid on at the Shankill Rd, everyone in the ground beforehand stopping to chat and saying to enjoy it.

Great experience

**Raheny Red** · 17/01/2008, 7:48 PM

Originally Posted by micls

Apart from the result we'd a great trip to Linfield last year.

Never been so welcomed at at football game in my life.

Food and Drink laid on at the Shankill Rd, everyone in the ground beforehand stopping to chat and saying to enjoy it.

Great experience

Was that just for a small group of yiz or a few coachloads though?